BEUKEMA: Hunting while disabled isn't an easy task

To understand and appreciate how disabled persons deal with daily activities is nearly impossible unless you are the one that is disabled.

And trying to get out into the woods to hunt, or the lake to fish makes for more problems that are only seen from the seat of a wheelchair or the support of a couple of crutches.

To get a better understanding of what disabled persons go through, hang around a physical therapy clinic for a day, or spend some time observing how people struggle to get around in a hospital.

Then again, just wait. As the years go by many of us will learn what it means to be disabled or partially disabled because of arthritis, joints that wear out, and poor eyesight and hearing.

Every so often, people who have good intentions to provide access for the disabled don’t have a clear plan of all that is involved.

Wheelchairs don’t roll well through sand, loose gravel or mud. These all are conditions that can occur prior to getting to a handicap fishing pier or boat launch. Often, the locations for these platforms and piers aren’t well thought out.

Covering the annual deer firearms season one year I came upon a full-size pick up truck with a cap over the bed.

The cap’s hinged door was open allowing me to plainly see someone seated inside. After parking, I approached the truck and was surprised to see the lone occupant holding a shotgun. Keep in mind this was on the edge of a dead-end road.

After a greeting I asked the occupant why he was hunting from his truck. “I’m handicapped and can’t walk very far,” he said.

He later demonstrated that he needed two stainless-steel crutches to help him move legs that were useless. It turned out he was a University of Michigan professor and had been hunting for years.

“I can get around with the crutches. My problem comes from getting over logs or limbs. I almost always fall,” he explained.

Newly arriving in Michigan, he recounted how he could hunt in areas designated for the disabled in Pennsylvania, his former home state.

“The DNR down there will actually take you out to your stand and bring you back if you need that kind of help he said.

Ron Davis, Oxford Township Parks and Recreation Director has a personnel feeling and an interest in providing accessibility for the disabled.

“My dad passed away several years ago with rheumatoid arthritis. He was diagnosed with it when he was 21 so he had it his entire life.

“He was an avid outdoors person and loved to fish and hunt. He even served in the army but was discharged because of his condition,” Davis said.

In memory of his dad and to further accessibility in the outdoors Davis, who has been the parks and rec director since 1995, began an endowment in his dad’s name.

To help raise funds, Davis holds a yearly golf outing. This year it was at Devil’s Ridge and was sold out. “We raised about $5,000,” he said.

On the board of directors of the Michigan Recreation Parks Association Foundation, Davis is heavily involved in recreation and ways to make it accessible.

This year, the foundation was able to purchase a moveable deer stand that accommodates a wheelchair.

Known as the Carolina Growler, the stand is mounted on a trailer making portable with extendable arms at each corner for stability. The lift can be raised to 23-feet.

“The nice thing about this stand is that it can be moved around to different areas or parks depending on availability,” Davis said. For more information visit www.carolinagrowlerinc.com.

NotebookMepps, the folk that make those spinners many anglers like to fish are buying squirrel tails.

Mepps will buy squirrel tails that go into making lures or trade them for product. For more information on the Mepps squirrel tail recycling program visit http://www.mepps.com/squirrels.

Oakland County Parks and Recreation hosts the Fall Color Car Classic at Independence Oaks County Park on Sunday, Oct. 7.

“It’s a beautiful park setting for people to view cars of all years and styles. Event proceeds go towards the Order of Alhambra, which supports individuals with disabilities by providing social, educational and recreational opportunities,” Event Organizer Lou Schneider said.

The Fall Color Car Classic runs from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and features antique cars Mustangs, Corvettes, and Classic cars by decade and more competing in 26 categories for People’s Choice trophies and Club Participation awards. Activities include a 50/50 drawing, goodie bags, door prizes and dash plaques for the first 200 participants. Alhambra Charities is the event sponsor.

Registration is $12/car due by Oct. 1 for competitors. The participation fee includes entry into the park.

Independence Oaks County Park is located at 9501 Sashabaw Road in Clarkston. The Fall Color Car Classic is located at the Twin Chimneys area inside the park.

Visit DestinationOakland.com for details and other events or find Oakland County Parks and Recreation on Facebook.

Roger Beukema writes a weekly outdoors column for Journal Register Newspapers. Email him at dutchbeukema@comcast.net and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com.